Dedicated to helping doctors and their team create custom systems and marketing plans that enable them to have an office that is not only highly productive and fun but one that allows them to consistently exceed patient expectations.

The month of March is the final month of your first quarter. Make it count – spend some time reviewing your numbers, your plans for how to reach your goals, and ways to continually improve your office during the year. It’s also a great month to celebrate your dental team! (Every month is really 😉 )

Note: March is an especially important month for any of you that typically struggle with your schedule during the month of September (AKA Sucktember). Be sure to pre-appoint your March hygiene patients for their 6-month continuing care appointments. (If this isn’t already being done with your hygiene patients, make it your goal to schedule their next appt. while they are there in the office.)

Here are a few Practice Management Ideas for March to get you started:

Employee Spirit Month – If you want to increase employee trust, creativity, teamwork, engagement, and productivity, then it’s time to have some fun, commend more, improve communication and huddle up!

National Dental Assistants Recognition Week: 4-10th – This is the week to celebrate your hard-working assistants! Be sure to take a picture(s) of your assistants to post on your social media pages with a message of appreciation.

National Cleaning Week: 25th – 31st – Take advantage of the theme for this week by sharing hygiene continuing care email & text reminders with your patients that are due for their appointments. Be sure to include posts on your social media pages too.

What are your plans to make March a great month?

Don’t miss out on any of the ideas that I share each month! Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your email inbox each month? If not, please start following us today. If you prefer, send me your email address at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com and I will send you an invitation to follow my blog.

Hello Friends,

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, what do you have planned to help educate families in your community about the need for better dental health?

Field trips to local schools? School field trips to the office? Participating in the National Give Kids A Smile Day?

If you are interested in having me help your office create a custom “Children’s Dental Health Month” (or different themed) campaign by providing you with ideas for special offers, patient gift giveaways/drawings, community involvement such as school field trips and presentations, cross-marketing with local businesses and hygiene continuing care/incomplete treatment scripting, please contact me today at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

Be sure to see Pediatric Dental Marketing Ideas for many ideas on how to Consistently Exceed Parent & Patient Expectations and Consistently Be Great! Visit here: Pediatric Dental Marketing Ideas

This article will focus on Give Kids a Smile Day which is held annually on the first Friday in February.

Here are some ideas and tips to help you host a successful Give Kids A Smile day in your office.

The ADA website has an excellent Give Kids A Smile Toolbox http://www.ada.org/1584.aspx It’s loaded with information such as Planning, Promotion, Forms, etc.

I wanted to share some additional ideas with you that have really helped to make this day a huge success and gain great patients long after the day is over.

Employee Participation– While you can’t mandate that your team volunteer to work this event, you can ask them to volunteer to work this very special day that will help many underserved children in the community. If you require your team to be there, you must pay them. GKAS day can be a very busy day for the office, I recommend ordering lunch in so team members can relax during their break.

Services/Procedures – Decide which free services you will be offering to the children on this day.

Advertising/Marketing your Event – Here are just a few ways to do this:

Social Media Pages ~ Make good use of all your social media platforms to share information about GKAS day.

TV News ~ Fax & Email a press release.

Fliers ~ Create fliers for in-office use and to give out to those in your community.

Even if your schedule is filling up, continue to advertise! Think of it as spreading seeds all over the community, getting your name in front of many people. You never know when those seeds will grow!!

Key things to remember/do before, during and after the event:

Show lots of Enthusiasm:

Be enthusiastic about this great event and how wonderful your office is!

Printed Materials:

In addition to the event information/details. Be sure to include: Doctors (office) Name, Address, Phone number, email, social media pages, and website.

Telephones:

Thank them for calling, ask how they heard about the event (TRACK EVERY Callers Referral Source)

So your schedule is full for that day, what do you do when the phone continues to ring with people wanting to schedule an appointment for their child(ren)?

Take down their name, phone number, chief concern, and let them know you will call if there are any changes in the schedule for that day. (Believe or not people sometimes cancel/no-show on this day!)

Just because you may not be able to see them on that day, offer them a different day for a complimentary consultation. Give them hope, give them a chance, they’ve probably been turned away from other offices.

Donations:

See if you can get donations from local businesses for the event.

Be sure to include any business that contributed to the event in your advertising & thank you’s after the event!

Day of Event:

Every child receives a goodie bag that includes an imprinted toothbrush.

Take pictures!!! (The ADA website has a release form)

Enter all charges into the computer and write off as GKAS-Charity (Record total donation dollars – the production)

Sadly, There will be some treatment that you won’t be able to do that day – give them a treatment plan and if they cannot afford treatment in your office you should refer them to a dental school or Medicaid office. Have a list ready for them.

It may be the first visit to the dentist for some kids so they may be scared you really have to work at keeping them comfy & make it fun.

You might be surprised to see how many families end up becoming patients.

After the Event:

Send a thank you to the children after the event.

Send a thank you to any business that contributed to the event.

Submit a press release talking about the success of the event, pictures, and tips for parents to keep their child’s smile healthy.

Make your Give Kids a Smile Day a huge success!

It’s actually a really fun day – exhausting yes, and maybe a little heartbreaking but it feels good to volunteer your time and donate your services to help so many children in the community.

If you have any questions about hosting your Give Kids A Smile Event or would like help planning/advertising (press release & talking points)/marketing this special day, please contact me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

Don’t miss out on any of the ideas that I share each month! Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your inbox each month? If not, please start following us today.If you prefer, send me your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow my blog.

Feel free to tell your dental friends all about us so they can start benefiting from these dental ideas too. If you liked these ideas, please let me know by hitting the “like” button. Thank you!!!

Hope you all are having a wonderful start to 2018! With the goal of helping you have an amazing first quarter, I’m sharing some Marketing and Practice Management tips & ideas that you can use during the month of February.

February is American Heart Month so Our focus this month is Heart Health.

Dental Health And Heart Disease Are Related -Dental health and heart disease are intricately linked and the cost for avoiding advanced periodontal disease or even something as mild as gingivitis may very well prove to be the cause of serious medical problems in the future.

Be good to your heart beginning with good oral health.

Special Days:

Women’s Heart Week: 1-7 – Focus this week on Women’s Heart Health. Have a special gift for your female patients. Hand out heart-healthy tips for your patients to share w/their friends and family.

Tip: If you’re not currently taking your patients’ blood pressure at their appointments… make it a goal to start during the month of February.

Many people see their dentist more regularly than a physician and could get an early warning about high blood pressure when getting their teeth cleaned or having other dental treatment done.

Have fun with this heart theme!

If you would like me to create a Heart Health marketing campaign for your office, please contact me today at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

Here are 3 More Ways To Help Your Team and Patients Smile in February!

Pet Dental Health Month – Share pet dental health tips on your social media sites, ask people to share pictures of their pets on social media, hand out dog treats packaged with your office information. Even if a patient doesn’t have a dog surely they know someone who does…great way to get your office name out there!

For your team: Negative people are the greatest destroyers of self-confidence and self-esteem. Avoid office negativity, it’s toxic and will infect your team – Rather, focus on and share positive experiences. See: How to Have a Happier Team

I would love to hear about your month and what your office chose to do to help make it special for your patients and the team.

Don’t miss out on any of the ideas that I share each month! Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your email inbox each month? If not, please start following us today. If you prefer, send me your email address at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com and I will send you an invitation to follow my blog.

Note: I no longer use this site to share ideas. All of my new and fresh dental marketing and practice management ideas and tips are shared here: Betty Hayden Consulting. The site looks exactly the same but is a new address.

For the latest and greatest ideas please take a second and start following my new page. Or email me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com with your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow.

Hello Friends,

“You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.”

What kind of impression is your dental office team creating for you? Do you know how effective they are in answering the office telephone? Does it really matter? Absolutely!

All of your marketing efforts lead people to the phone first. Don’t waste your money by losing the potential patient or aggravating current patients due to poor telephone skills and habits. Your entire team (clinical & admin) should be trained on how to properly answer the phone and handle the call. Answering the phone is a privilege and a great opportunity!

Here are a 10 helpful telephone tips & ideas:

Smile before you pick up the phone.

Answer the phone within the first couple of rings.

Answer the phone with a thank you for calling, identify the office and give your name. (ex: Thank you for calling Dr.Smiles, this is Betty. I can help you.)

Do NOT let the caller go to voice mail (or a busy signal!) during business hours (including lunch hours). People hate leaving messages. Oftentimes, they’ll hang up and call the next office on their list.

Never, ever answer the phone with “hold please” or “can you hold?”! Take a quick second, find out who they are and what they need. People hate to be put on hold. If you are habitually needing to put callers on hold, you need more people answering the phones.

Find out how they heard about your office (document the referral source!).

“What type of insurance do you have?” shouldn’t be the first thing you ask. In fact, let the caller bring that part up. Your goal is to build a relationship with the caller, to get to know them and their expectations.

Offer an appointment. Sounds obvious right? You might be surprised to know how many offices I have called as a “shopper” and was never offered an appointment.

Set aside some time to meet together as a team – everyone in the office should be trained on how to not only answer the phones but they should know how to handle the calls. At the very least, professionally & courteously direct the caller to someone who can help. Role play will help all to feel more comfortable handling different types of calls.

As a team, create your Telephone Principles (Scripts)which are your goals & expectations for each call.

Know how to respond to the following callers:

Shopper Callers – Great opportunity! Typically, the shopper caller has a need and is ready to “buy”, that’s why they are “shopping”. Don’t blow it by refusing to quote fees over the phone.

Insurance Questions – Have a great response to: “Do you take —-ins?

Wrong Numbers – offer an appointment anyway.

Sales Calls – Be kind, they’re just doing their job. Maybe they need an appointment. Plus, you don’t know who they know. It’s simple – always be kind.

Organizations or local businesses requesting donations – Empower your team to fulfill their request. At the very least, offer them an appointment.

The telephone ringing should never be viewed as an interruption to your already too busy day. Certainly, handling the phones is a big responsibility but it’s an even bigger privilege. Don’t miss out on any opportunities to set your office apart from the others by always exceeding the caller’s expectations.

If you have questions about how to successfully handle telephone calls or need help training your team, don’t wait, ask for help. I’m ready to help you. Email:bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

Be sure to take a second and subscribe to receive in your email inbox each month, my FREE dental marketing and practice management tip & ideas.

How does your final quarter look? The month of December is your final opportunity to end your year on a high note.

Practice Management Tips & Ideas

National Write a Business Plan Month – Plan now to make 2018 your Best Year Yet! Meet together as a team to discuss marketing ideas, production, & collection goals, new patient goals, continuing education needs/wants, office maintenance/repairs/remodel needs. Put your plans down on paper! Be sure to include a plan of action: The Who, What, Where, When & How’s!

Do you have any patients with incomplete treatment or ones that are due/past due in hygiene with remaining insurance benefits that will expire at the end of this year? Do what you can to help them see the need and value in scheduling an appointment this month. Some offices invite their patients to take advantage of “today only” special offers that they share via their social media sites, email blasts, and telephone calls.

Be alert to any patients that are coming in with the doctor or hygienist and have incomplete treatment or are due in hygiene. If the schedule allows, encourage them to take care of both at the same time. This means carefully reviewing all charts in advance of the appointment.

December is a great time for Special offers on Teeth Whitening, Electric Toothbrushes, and Invisalign.

Consider having a drawing for a gift basket or gift card to a local business that your patients can enter to win when they come in for their dental appointment before December 23rd.

Cosmetic Dentistry Opportunity:

Many of your patients will be attending holiday parties/events during the month of December. Typically with these special occasions come a lot of picture-taking. Now is a great time to help them see how they can easily get their smile ready for the camera with teeth whitening and other cosmetic treatment/procedures.

Remember, Gift Certificates for Teeth Whitening should always be available for your patients to purchase as gifts for their loved ones.

Dental Marketing Tips & Ideas:

Cookie Cutter Week: 1-7 – Purchase a variety of cookie cutters to individually package and seal with an office label that says: “Our Patients Are a CUT Above the Rest!” See more patient gift ideas here: Patient Appreciation Gift Ideas

National 12-hour Fresh Breath Day: 12th –Great Dental Education Opportunity to discuss with your patients and on your social media platforms the possible causes of bad breath and treatment remedies.

Travel Toothbrush Bags –Many of your patients travel during the holidays – Surprise them with a small gift for their travels. Put together toothbrush bags that include a toothbrush, floss, toothpaste and a “what to do in a dental emergency” handout. You could also include other travel sized items such as lotion, Advil, lip balm, etc.

~ Social Media Post Ideas to Improve Engagement ~

It’s About Time Week: 25-31

National Cotton Candy Day: 7th

Gingerbread House Day: 12th

Short Girl Appreciation Day: 21st (Shortest day of the year)

Bacon Day: 30th

Sometimes despite your best efforts the schedule still falls apart. Don’t stress over it, instead use that downtime to do some training, team building and/or office cleaning/organizing.

If you are interested in having me help your office create a custom marketing campaign that includes ideas for special offers, office fun, giveaways/drawings, community involvement, cross-marketing with local businesses and hygiene continuing care/incomplete treatment scripting, or perhaps you need help implementing your goals and ideas, please contact me today at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

Don’t miss out on any of the ideas that I share each month! Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your email inbox each month? If not, please start following us today. If you prefer, send me your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow my blog.

There is still time to make your final quarter for the year your best one yet. To help make that happen, here are some dental marketing & practice management tips & ideas…

November Reminders:

Incomplete Treatment & Insurance Maximum Renewals – Do you have any patients with incomplete treatment or ones that are due/past due in hygiene with remaining insurance benefits that are going to run out at the end of this year? Do what you can to help them see the need and value in scheduling an appointment this month before the end of the year rush really shifts into high gear! See Dental Benefit (Use it or Lose it) Reminders, Tips, and Ideas

National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day: 15th – Time to clean out the office refrigerator.

Candy Buy Back – Many of you will be starting off the month of November hosting and celebrating your office Candy Buy Back events. Consider doing a Facebook Live Video to promote your event. Be sure to alert the local TV news, online & print newspapers and social media sites about these events.

Dental Education Opportunity:

November is American & National Diabetes Month

Over 30 million Americans have diabetes.
People with diabetes are 2 times more likely to develop serious gum disease.
Use this month to educate your patients about the connections between diabetes and gum disease while they are in the chair and or via email, office newsletters, and your social media sites.

Great American Smokeout: 16th – Wonderful Educational Opportunity to help your patients Kick the Tobacco Habit! As well as encourage youths to remain tobacco-free.

Cosmetic Dentistry Opportunity:

Many of your patients will soon be attending holiday parties/events and typically with these special occasions come a lot of picture-taking. Now is a great time to help them see how they can easily get their smile ready for the camera with teeth whitening and other cosmetic treatment/procedures. Be sure to make available Dental Gift Cards/Certificates for purchase.

Here are 3 More Ways to Help Your Patients Smile in November!

World Kindness Week: 12-18 – Have Gift Of Health Certificates for your patients to share with their friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family. What about handing out special surprise gifts for your patients or deliver gifts to local businesses this week. Perhaps there is a patient coming in this week for treatment that is experiencing serious financial hardship and would benefit from some extra kindness by you donating some of their dental treatment.

As always, I would love to hear your ideas for making November a great month! Should you need any help implementing these ideas or have any other questions that I can help you answer…I’m ready to help! Contact me today at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.

Are you receiving my free dental marketing and practice management ideas every month to your inbox? If not, PLEASE take a second and follow today or send me your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea. Feel free to share my blog with your dental friends. ~ Thank you!